Chris Hogg believes that behind-the-scenes continuity is key for Ipswich Town moving forwards.

Hogg, 33, and fellow young coach Gerard Nash, 31, have been temporarily promoted from their roles overseeing the Under-23s to assist caretaker boss Bryan Klug – the club’s academy supremo – with the first team until the end of the season.

Owner Marcus Evans was full of praise for the Playford Road backroom team in his first on-camera interview this week and stressed that the next manager he appoints will ‘work with the club’s existing support teams’.

Assistant boss Terry Connor is the only staff member to follow manager Mick McCarthy out of the exit door so far, while director of football Dave Bowman – essentially the chief scout – may well follow at a later date.

Grant Ward starts a three-game ban after his red card in last weekend's 4-0 home defeat to Aston Villa. Photo: Steven Gardiner

“I think continuity is key in whatever business or whatever walk of life you’re in,” said Hogg.

“You see a lot of chopping and changing at football clubs and I’d like to think we’ve got relatively good consistency with staff here.

“Obviously, people do leave, people will leave in the future, but we’ve got a lot of faces round here that have been here for five, 10, 15, 20 years at the football club behind the scenes so it just helps create that stable environment.”

Town have lost their first two games under Klug, Nash and Hogg – 2-1 at Nottingham Forest and 4-0 at home to Aston Villa. Today they face a Reading side who still need a point to guarantee safety.

“We haven’t done anything drastically different,” said Hogg. “You can’t reinvent the wheel, it’s only been two weeks. There’s been little tweaks here and there so hopefully you should be able to see one or two things coming out in the games.

“First and foremost you need to stay in games, scrap it out, fight it out, and that’s something the group has done pretty well all season. But then it’s whether we can we just add that extra little bit of quality, patience and care in the final third.”

– Luke Hyam (knock) and Cole Skuse (illness) have both missed some training this week, but are expected to be passed fit.

– Grant Ward starts a three-game ban for his straight red card in last weekend’s 4-0 home defeat to Aston Villa.

– As a result, teenage right-back Luke Woolfenden has been recalled from a loan spell at play-off chasing National League club Bromley – and has thus been denied the chance to play at Wembley in the FA Trophy Final next month.

The 19-year-old impressed for Town in Carabao Cup games at Luton and Crystal Palace last August.

– The Royals are short of left-back options. Jordan Obita has been sidelined with a knee injury since October, while Tyler Blackett and Leandro Bacuna are both suspended. Fit-again centre-back Tommy Elphick could fill in there, or youth product Omar Richards may get the nod.

– Paul McShane (groin) has been out since January, while Jospeh Mendes has recently returned to training.